As one of the larger members of Samsung's tablet lineup, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S 10.5 offers a competitive combination of price and performance. Internally, the Android 4.4 tablet is built with a 1.9GHz Intel Exynos 5 processor, Samsung's custom TouchWiz user interface and 3GB of memory.

Benchmarking from our colleagues at Laptop Mag showed that the tablet computer had an average performance ceiling. In graphics and performance tests 3DMark and GeekBench 3, the Tab's respective scores of 16,722 and 2,511 were in line with comparable mainstream tablets. In practice, the Tab S can readily handle games or work, but its processing capabilities are still a step behind the best premium tablets.

With a weight of 1.02 pounds and dimensions of 7 x 9.7 x 0.26 inches, the Galaxy Tab is built similarly to comparable 10-inch tablets. Considering its screen size, the tablet's thinness is impressive. In addition, Samsung offers a separate Tab model with cellular data support. The tablet also comes with 16GB of base internal storage, although this is supplemented with microSD compatibility for cards up to 128GB.

The Tab S produced similarly respectable results in Laptop's battery evaluation. During Laptop's battery test, in which a tablet loops through webpages at a consistent brightness, the Tab S lasted for 8 hours and 57 minutes before it shut down. This mark is in line with similar premium tablets, which average between nine to 10 hours of battery life.

As the centerpiece of the tablet computer, the Tab's 10.5-inch 2560 x 1600 screen produced mostly notable benchmarking numbers. Its brightness mark of 322 nits was a minor step behind other premium tablets, which typically average above 350 nits. Still, the screen was a stronger performer in Laptop's hands-on evaluations, as they were impressed by the Tab's sharpness when playing high-definition content. However, the screen's wide color reproduction range was hindered by average color accuracy.

Samsung includes a 2.1-megapixel front-facing camera and 8-megapixel rear-facing camera on the Galaxy Tab. During Laptop's hands-on testing, the cameras had occasional issues with light processing and fidelity but fared better for video recording. Samsung includes a one-year warranty on the Tab S and offers support via phone, live chat, social media, an online troubleshooting webpage and through its retail kiosks in Best Buy stores.

Samsung Galaxy Tab Summary:

8.3/10

From the inside and outside, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S 10.5 mostly lives up to its premium billing. Its processor isn't the most impressive, but with an exceptional screen and equally consistent build quality, the Tab S 10.5 is a deluxe tablet that doesn't compromise on design.